Hi. I have been taking Plaquenil since July 9, 2006 (6 weeks) and I do not notice results so far. For those of you who have taken it, how long does it take to work and how will I know it's starting to work? I really appreciate your response. I have arthritis in my feet and ankles. I still take Tylenol but my rheumi has advised not to take Naproxyn while taking the Plaquenil. Thanks in advance! Rosie

It took a good 12-16 weeks for me to be able to tell it was working. I also started MTX about that same time. I developed lots of neurological problems while on Plaquenil and finally stopped it altogether. I hadn't realized it was helping so much until I stopped taking it.

It took me about 9 or 10 months. When I developed a severe flare, my rheumy started me on prednisone and plaquenil at the same time. This way while I tapered off the pred over 8 months, the plaquenil was building up in my system. Once I stopped the pred, I got some fatigue back and felt a little flarish, but nothing like i was. Then it took several more weeks just on the plaquenil before I really noticed I was feeling pretty good. I take 400 mg per day of the plaquenil. I had have some little flare-ups while on it but they didnt last long and were not as bad as before I ever took it. The only time I flared up badly was when my epidural steroid injections into my spine wore off. But even then, it only took about 3 weeks for me to feel better. It can work so slowly that it's hard to notice it's giving you any benefits. But it sure helps me keep flares from going berserk.

It's really hard to be patient, I know. It took about three months before I noticed any difference.

Your RD should have told you it would take a while for it to be effective. If you are in a lot of pain, call your doctor and ask for a short round of prednisone. It will help you get through the rough patch until the Plaquneil kicks in.